2015 safe routes to school walk audit findings report€¦ · place and the silas deane middle...

Submitted By:VN Engineers, Inc.116 Washington AvenueNorth Haven, CT 06473Phone (203) 234-7862

September 2015 VN Engineers, Inc.

2015 Safe Routes to School Walk Audit

Findings Report

Silas Deane Middle SchoolWethersfield, CT

VN Engineers, Inc. Silas Deane Middle School September 2015

Safe Routes to School 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3

1 EXISTING FEATURES AND WALKING ROUTES ................................................... 5 1.1 Silas Deane Middle School Surrounding Area .......................................................... 5 1.2 Silas Deane Middle School Existing Conditions ....................................................... 6 1.3 Walking Route 1 - Wolcott Hill Road / Church Street / Fairmount Street / Church Place 9

1.3.1 Traffic and Pavement Markings ............................................................................ 10 1.3.2 Signs ..................................................................................................................... 10 1.3.3 Sidewalks .............................................................................................................. 10 1.3.4 Crime .................................................................................................................... 10

1.4 Walking Route 2 - Belcher Road / Somerset Street / Cottwell Drive / Hurlburt Road 12

1.4.1 Traffic and Pavement Markings ............................................................................ 13 1.4.2 Signs ..................................................................................................................... 13 1.4.3 Sidewalks .............................................................................................................. 13 1.4.4 Crime .................................................................................................................... 13

1.5 Walking Route 3 - Silas Deane Highway .................................................................. 14 1.5.1 Traffic and Pavement Markings ............................................................................ 15 1.5.2 Signs ..................................................................................................................... 15 1.5.3 Sidewalks .............................................................................................................. 15 1.5.4 Crime .................................................................................................................... 16

1.6 Crash Experience ....................................................................................................... 16

2 ASSESSMENT OF WALKING ROUTES AND SCHOOL GROUND ...................... 18 2.1 Best Practices ............................................................................................................ 18 2.2 Key Issues .................................................................................................................. 18

3 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 20 3.1 Short-Term Improvements ........................................................................................ 20

3.1.1 Education .............................................................................................................. 20 3.1.2 Encouragement .................................................................................................... 20 3.1.3 Enforcement ......................................................................................................... 20 3.1.4 Engineering ........................................................................................................... 20

3.2 Long-Term Improvements ......................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Education .............................................................................................................. 21 3.2.2 Encouragement .................................................................................................... 21 3.2.3 Enforcement ......................................................................................................... 21 Engineering .................................................................................................................. 22 3.2.4 .................................................................................................................................... 22

APPENDIX A.................................................................................................................. 23



LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Silas Deane Middle School Street Inventory .................................................................. 7 Table 2: Accidents By Location And Walking Route Across Entire Day (2012-2014) ................ 17 Table 3: Accidents By Location And Walking Route During Arrival And Dismissal Times (2012-2014) .......................................................................................................................................... 17

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Silas Deane Middle School Study Area……………………………………………………….…..4 Figure 2: Crossing Guard On Silas Deane Highway At Church Street ........................................ 5 Figure 3: Crossing guard on Wolcott Hill Road at Church Street ................................................. 5 Figure 4: ADA compliant ramps on Silas Deane Highway at Church Street ................................ 6 Figure 5: Drop-off process at Silas Deane Middle School ............................................................ 6 Figure 6: Queue during dismissal process ................................................................................... 6 Figure 7: Silas Deane Middle School Walking Routes Map ......................................................... 8 Figure 8: Walking Route 1-Wolcott Hill Road/Church Street/Fairmount Street/Church Place….. 9 Figure 9: Speed Limit Sign On Church Street…………………………………………………………….. 10 Figure 10: School zone signage on eastbound Church Street approaching Church Place ....... 10 Figure 11: School zone signage on southbound Church Place……………………………………..… 11 Figure 12: Walking Route 2 - Belcher Road / Somerset Street / Cottwell Drive / Hurlburt Road 12 Figure 13: Pavement markings and quality on Somerset Street at Hurlburt Road ..................... 13 Figure 14: School zone signage on Hurlburt Road .................................................................... 13 Figure 15: Stop Ahead and No Parking signs on Cottwell Drive ................................................ 13 Figure 16: Walking Route 3 - Silas Deane Highway .................................................................. 14 Figure 17: Signage on Church Street at Silas Deane Highway .................................................. 15 Figure 18: Accident on Silas Deane Highway at Church Street ................................................. 16 Figure 19: Sidewalk ends at intersection of Church Place at Fairmount Street ......................... 18 Figure 20: Dismissal Process At The Wethersfield Town Hall And Library Complex…………….. 18 Figure 21: Sidewalk ends at intersection of Church Place at Fairmount Street……………………. 19 Figure 22: MUTCD S1-1 sign and W16-9P sub-plate ................................................................ 20 Figure 23: Bikes locked to bench at west entrance .................................................................... 21 Figure 24: Potential Sidewalk…………………………………………………………………………………. 22



INTRODUCTION A walk audit was performed by CTDOT’s "Safe Route to School" (SRTS) consultant, VN Engineers, Inc., for Silas Deane Middle School in Wethersfield on September 3rd, 2015. Silas Deane Middle School serves students in grades 7 and 8. The purpose of a SRTS walk audit is to assess the existing conditions of the walking and biking routes to these schools and to identify the issues that may discourage or prevent walking and bicycling. SRTS audits are performed by transportation professionals experienced in traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle operations and design. These professionals assess and review factors that can promote or obstruct safe walking and bicycling routes to school. Some of these factors include social aspects, traffic volumes and speeds, topography, and presence / absence of sidewalks and/or bicycle lanes.

The audit for Silas Deane Middle School followed standard walk audit protocol. Before the site visit was conducted, the CTDOT SRTS Team analyzed the collected parent/teacher surveys, the area topography, and the routes surrounding the school. Available online imagery was used to study and assess the most prevalent routes, adjacent land use, sight distance issues, sidewalk locations, on-street parking, and other site-specific issues.

The CTDOT SRTS Team visited the site to observe arrival and dismissal operations. During class sessions, the team walked and drove throughout the surrounding neighborhoods to evaluate pedestrian walking and biking routes. Measurements and photographs were taken of the focus area and school officials were interviewed by the SRTS Team to document current perceptions and conditions surrounding school transportation.

The SRTS Audit Team found that the area around Silas Deane Middle School and the various walking routes are in good condition with some of the appropriate safety amenities in place. The team did find a few infrastructure issues that could be addressed in the short- and long-term. However, the main issue was pedestrian safety, which is a function of poor connectivity between Corpus Christi School and Silas Deane Middle School, high-speed traffic, and distracted drivers. While the percentage of walking students at Silas Deane Middle School is not low, if the district wishes to increase the number of students safely walking and biking to school, they could initiate pedestrian and bicycling education and encouragement campaigns.

The following subjects are discussed below:

• Existing features and walking routes • School parent drop-off and bus drop-off area • Assessments of various pedestrian and bike routes • Recommendations

Figure 1 shows an overview of the Silas Deane Middle School study area.



Figure 1: Silas Deane Middle School study area



1 EXISTING FEATURES AND WALKING ROUTES

The local SRTS Champion, in conjunction with the Town's SRTS Committee members, identified the three primary walking routes. Conditions were directly observed by the study engineers on these routes and on other routes surrounding the school. The following three main routes provide the most direct and safest path for children to take from their homes to the middle school:

• Walking Route 1: Wolcott Hill Road / Church Street or Fairmont Street / Church Place – Northwest of Silas Deane Middle School (0.6 miles from Wolcott Hill Road at Nott Street)

• Walking Route 2: Belcher Road or Somerset Street or Cottwell Drive / Hurlburt Road – Southwest of Silas Deane Middle School (maximum of 0.5 miles)

• Walking Route 3: Silas Deane Highway – East of Silas Deane Middle School (0.35 miles from Silas Deane Highway at Wells Road and 0.5 miles from Silas Deane Highway at Nott Street)

1.1 Silas Deane Middle School Surrounding Area

Silas Deane Middle School is situated in a suburban area to the west and the 5-lane Silas Deane Highway to the east. As a result of being situated between Church Street and Somerset Street at the Silas Deane Highway, pedestrian features are relatively new. Silas Deane Middle School is situated between the Wethersfield Town Hall and Library complex, as well as the Corpus Christi School. The student drop-off and pickup area is on the Church Place side or on the west side of Silas Deane Middle School. Conversely, the buses drop-off and pickup students from the Silas Deane Highway side or east side of the school. There is an alternate drop-off and pickup area located north of the school at the Town of Wethersfield Town Hall and Library Complex. This secondary drop-off and pickup area has a paved path that leads directly to the west entrance of the school.

The Town of Wethersfield has assigned two crossing guards dedicated to students walking to and from Silas Deane Middle School. As shown in Figure’s 2 and 3, one crossing guard is stationed at the intersection of Silas Deane Highway and Church Street from 7:00-8:15 a.m. and 2:00-3:15 p.m. The other crossing guard is located at the intersection of Wolcott Hill Road and Church Street (Figure 3). In addition to the two crossing guards located to the north of school grounds, the principal, a police resource officer, and two other staff members observe the arrival process.

Figure 3: Crossing guard on Wolcott Hill Road at Church Street

Figure 2: Crossing Guard On Silas Deane Highway At Church Street



Figure 5: Drop-off process at Silas Deane Middle School

At major intersections surrounding Silas Deane Middle School are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliant sidewalk ramps with detectable warning strips. Specifically, at the intersection of Silas Deane Highway and Church Street, there are four ADA Compliant ramps, crosswalks, and fully-operational pedestrian equipment (Figure 4).

1.2 Silas Deane Middle School Existing Conditions

Students are allowed to enter the building starting at 7:30 a.m. The first school bell rings at 7:45 a.m. and thus, the regular drop-off occurs between 7:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. The school has a one-lane drop-off and pickup configuration. Lower occupancy buses and parents dropping off their children at the school share one lane and stop momentarily in the fire lane. After drop-off, vehicles move left out of the fire lane and leave the parking lot (Figure 5). By 7:50 a.m. the queue is essentially dissipated. The drop-off process functions rather smoothly with a maximum queue of about 10 vehicles. Students generally exited the vehicles towards the sidewalk and not into traffic. Along the west entrance to Silas Deane Middle School, there is a nine-foot sidewalk on the right side of the driveway and a six-foot sidewalk on the left side of the driveway.

While the pickup process functions relatively smoothly, the maximum queue extends out to the intersection of Church Place and Fairmont Street (Figure 6). The first dismissal bell rings at 2:21 p.m., but only a few students exit the building at this time. At 2:25 p.m., several hundred students exit the building and a low capacity bus enters the pickup loop around the same time. This bus temporarily comes in conflict with parents picking up their children. The queue starts to dissipate at 2:30 p.m.

Table 1 provides an overview of key findings for streets within the immediate area and Figure 7 provides a pictorial representation of the three walking routes to Silas Deane Middle School.

Figure 4: ADA Compliant ramps on Silas Deane Highway at Church

Street

Figure 6: Queue during dismissal process



Table 1: Silas Deane Middle School Street Inventory

Street Name Street Width Direction of Travel

Existing Sidewalk

Sidewalk Width

Sidewalk Condition

Sidewalk Ramps Curb

Parking Observed

on Sidewalk

Crime

Area

Wolcott Hill Road

34 ft two-way

traffic YES 3-4 ft (both directions) Fair

YES, but only few

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Church Street

36-40 ft two-way


YES, but only few

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Church Place

18-20 ft two-way

traffic

YES, except southbound intersection

with Fairmont Street

4 ft (both directions) Fair

YES, but no

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Fairmont Street

26-28 ft two-way

traffic

YES, except westbound intersection with Church

Place 4 ft (both

directions) Fair

YES, but no

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Cottwell Drive

25-27 ft two-way

traffic YES 4 ft (both

directions) Good

YES, but no

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Somerset Street

25-29 ft two-way


YES, but no

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Belcher Road

24-26 ft two-way


YES, but no

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Hurlburt Road

24-26 ft two-way

traffic YES 4-5 ft (both directions) Good

YES, but no

detectable warning

strips YES NO NO

Silas Deane Highway

60 ft, with 3 ft shoulders on

each side two-way


YES, ADA Compliant YES NO NO

Note: Most of the ramps within the project area, as determined by observation, are not ADA handicap accessible compliant.



Figure 7: Silas Deane Middle School Walking Routes Map



1.3 Walking Route 1 - Wolcott Hill Road / Church Street/ Fairmount Street / Church Place

Figure 8: Walking Route 1 - Wolcott Hill Road / Church Street / Fairmount Street / Church Place

LEGEND



Walking Route 1 starts along Wolcott Hill Road to either Church Street or Fairmount Street, then continuing to Church Place and the Silas Deane Middle School Campus.

1.3.1 Traffic and Pavement Markings

In general, both the pavement markings and pavement quality are in fair to good condition along the entire route. There are missing crosswalks at all intersections along the walking route, except at the intersection of Wolcott Hill Road and Church Street. The crosswalks at this location could also be repainted. Bicyclists using this route will encounter a road without painted shoulder lines and thus, will have to share the travel lanes with vehicles.

1.3.2 Signs

There is no posted speed limit on Wolcott Hill Road and Church Place, but the speed limit on Church Street and Fairmont Street is 25 mph. Wolcott Hill Road and Church Street both have higher volume than the residential roads of Church Place and Fairmont Street. Though Church Street has a higher volume of traffic, Figure 9 shows the posted 25 mph speed limit. As eastbound Church Street traffic approaches Church Place, school zone signage reinforces the speed limit within the Silas Deane Middle School zone (Figure 10). Additionally, Church Place also has similar signage to warn drivers that they are in a school zone (Figure 11).

1.3.3 Sidewalks

Wolcott Hill Road, Church Street, Fairmont Street, and most of Church Place have four to six-foot wide sidewalks on both sides of the street. However, the sidewalk ramps lack the detectable warning strips and thus, are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A minimum four-foot wide grass strip buffered sidewalk provides a safer walking environment despite the missing crosswalks at various intersections. Upon reaching the intersection of Church Place at Fairmont Street, the sidewalk ends along the southbound direction of travel on Church Place.

1.3.4 Crime

The school principal stated that the perception of crime is not an issue in the area. According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School crime includes "stranger danger, bullying, and drug dealing," as well as "unsafe behaviors on the streets around the school” including:

Figure 9: Speed limit sign on Church Street

Figure 10: School zone signage on eastbound Church Street

approaching Church Place

Figure 11: School zone signage on southbound Church Place



§ Speeding through residential streets and school zones. Speed is directly related to crash frequency and severity.

§ Failing to yield to students walking or bicycling, especially in crosswalks. The law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks – it is a law that is often ignored.

§ Running red lights or stop signs. § Passing stopped school buses. § Parking or stopping in crosswalks.



1.4 Walking Route 2 - Belcher Road / Somerset Street / Cottwell Drive / Hurlburt Road

Figure 12: Walking Route 2 - Belcher Road / Somerset Street / Cottwell Drive / Hurlburt Road

Figure 12 Legend:

SCHOOL Location (Approximately)

Walking Route 2

N



Walking Route 2 begins at either Belcher Road, Somerset Street, or Cottwell Drive. The route then continues to Hurlburt Road, along the west side of the Corpus Christi School and Silas Deane Middle School until reaching the west entrance of the school (Figure 12).


In general, the pavement quality is in excellent condition on Belcher Road, Cottwell Drive, and Hurlburt Road, as if the town recently repaved these streets. However, the pavement quality on Somerset Street is fair because there is ongoing road construction (Figure 13). The sidewalk quality ranges from fair to good along the entire route. Despite the low traffic volume along this walking route the absence of pavement markings are not favorable for walking and biking. There are no crosswalks, centerlines, and shoulder lines which provide appropriate safety measures for pedestrians and bicyclists. Thus, bicyclists using this route have to share the travel lanes with vehicles. After reaching Hurlburt Road students take a walking path along the west entrance to Corpus Christi School, proceeding between the athletic fields and the west side of Silas Deane Middle School and to the west entrance to the school.

1.4.2 Signs

There are posted speed limit signs of 25 mph on Belcher Road, Somerset Street, and Cottwell Drive, but Hurlburt Road does not have a posted speed limit sign. On northbound section of Hurlburt Road, there The MUTCD Compliant school zone warning before the intersection with Cottwell Drive to alert motorists of potential students travelling in the school area (Figure 14). Additionally, a few "No Parking" signs are present on this route, as shown in Figure 15.

1.4.3 Sidewalks

Belcher Road, Somserset Street, Cottwell Drive, and Hurlburt Road all have four to six-foot wide existing sidewalks on both sides of the street, though the missing detectable warning strips on sidewalk ramps are not compliant with the ADA Standards. A minimum six-foot wide grass strip buffered sidewalk provides a safe walking environment despite the missing crosswalks.

1.4.4 Crime

The school principal stated that crime is not an issue in the area. Refer to Section 1.3.4.

Figure 15: Stop Ahead and No Parking signs

on Cottwell Drive

Figure 13: Pavement markings and quality on Somerset Street at Hurlburt Road

Figure 14: School zone signage on Hurlburt Road



Figure 16 Legend:

SCHOOL Location (Approximately)

Walking Route 3

1.5 Walking Route 3 - Silas Deane Highway

Figure 16: Walking Route 3 - Silas Deane Highway

N



Walking Route 3 is entirely on Silas Deane Highway, originating from either north or south of Silas Deane Middle School. Students using this walking route arrive at the bus drop-off area and enter the building through the east entrance of the school.


In general, both the pavement markings and pavement quality are in fair condition along this section of the Silas Deane Highway and thus, along the entirety of Walking Route 3. The Silas Deane Highway is a five-lane high volume roadway, with two through lanes in both the north and south directions. At the intersection of Silas Deane Highway and Church Street, there are two through lanes in both the north and south directions, with two simultaneous opposing left-turn lanes. There are several crosswalks on Silas Deane Highway at the intersections with Church Street, Beaver Road / Silas Deane Middle School bus loop, and Wells Road (Route 175). While painted shoulder lines are beneficial for bicyclists, the high speed of vehicular traffic and narrow shoulders make biking along this particular route daunting. With approximately 3-foot shoulders, which is significantly less than the 5-foot minimum width of a bike lane as specified by the Federal Highway Administration’s Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, Section 19.2, Bicycle Lane Widths and Construction Standards Bicycle lanes serve the needs of all types of cyclists in urban and suburban areas, providing them with their own travel lane on the street surface. The minimum width of a bike lane should be 1.5 meters (5 feet) against a curb or adjacent to a parking lane. On streets where the bike lane is adjacent to the curb and the curb includes a 1-foot to 2-foot gutter pan, bike lanes should be a minimum of 4-feet wide (width does not include the gutter pan, since bicyclists are typically unable to use this space).

1.5.2 Signs

The speed limit on Silas Deane Highway is posted as 35 mph and there is a high volume of traffic on this roadway. Unlike the other walking routes, there is no advance school zone signage to alert drivers of potential pedestrians crossing (Figure 17). This deficient school zone signage affects students attending Silas Deane Middle School and Corpus Christi School.

1.5.3 Sidewalks

Silas Deane Highway has 5 to 6 foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the street, continuing across various businesses' driveways. In general, the sidewalk ramps do not have detectable warning strips and thus, are not compliant with the ADA. The intersection of Silas Deane Highway at Church Street is an exception however, as there are ADA Compliant sidewalk ramps (Figure 4) on Belcher Road, Somserset Street, Cottwell Drive, and Hurlburt Road. All these aforementioned streets have four to six-foot wide existing sidewalks on both sides, though the missing detectable warning strips on sidewalk ramps are not compliant with the ADA. Additionally, the minimum four-foot wide grass strip buffered sidewalk provides a safe walking environment for students.

Figure 17: Signage on Church Street at Silas Deane Highway



1.5.4 Crime

The school principal stated that crime is not an issue in the area. Refer to Section 1.3.4.

1.6 Crash Experience

A trained crossing guard is stationed at the southwest corner of the intersection of Silas Deane Highway and Church Street which allows him to best serve pedestrians expressed safety concerns with traffic ignoring the red light on Silas Deane Highway. The team witnessed two cars travelling through the signal without heeding the red light controlled stop and a distracted driver taking a right on red without yielding to the guard and the pedestrians. The crossing guard stated that this is a common occurrence at this corner. These cited pedestrian concerns are in addition to a recent accident on Silas Deane Highway, as shown in Figure 18.

The crash history within the project area was reviewed as part of this study. The crash history for the most recent three-year period (2012-2014) was examined, based on data obtained from The Connecticut Crash Data Repository. Table A-1 shows the location and number of crashes that occurred over the three-year span within a one-mile radius of the school. The information is collected on the roads that correspond to the three walking routes.

Table 2 serves as a summary of all the data provided in Table A-1. Specifically, Table 2 depicts accidents only on each of the three walking routes. In addition, Table 3 shows the accidents during the 7:00-8:00 a.m. arrival time and the 2:20-3:20 p.m. dismissal time. These accidents could have affected walker and bikers on the three principle walking routes.

Figure 18: Accident on Silas Deane Highway at Church Street



Table 2: Accidents by location and walking route across entire day (2012-2014)

Location Route 1 Route 2 Route 3

Wolcott Hill Rd/Church St 2 Wolcott Hill Rd/Nott St 2 Church St/Wolcott Hill Rd 1 Belcher Rd/Savage Rd 1 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd 20 Silas Deane Highway/Somerset St 3 Silas Deane Highway/S Jct Beaver Rd 4 Silas Deane Highway/N Jct Beaver Rd 5 Silas Deane Highway/Church St 12 Silas Deane Highway/Morrison Ave 2 Silas Deane Highway/Hillcrest Ave 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St 11 TOTALS 5 1 60

Table 3: Accidents by location and walking route during arrival and dismissal times (2012-2014)

Location Route 1

Route 2

Route 3

Wolcott Hill Rd/Church St - Wolcott Hill Rd/Nott St - Church St/Wolcott Hill Rd - Belcher Rd/Savage Rd - Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd 5 Silas Deane Highway/Somerset St - Silas Deane Highway/S Jct Beaver Rd - Silas Deane Highway/N Jct Beaver Rd 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St 2 Silas Deane Highway/Morrison Ave 1 Silas Deane Highway/Hillcrest Ave - Silas Deane Highway/Nott St 2 TOTALS 0 0 13



2 ASSESSMENT OF WALKING ROUTES AND SCHOOL GROUND

This section summarizes an assessment of the identified walking routes, arrival process, and dismissal process in accordance with Best Practices and Key Issues.

2.1 Best Practices

The following SRTS Best Practices were observed during the walk audit:

• Pedestrian access / egress and parent drop-off/pickup location is separated from the bus drop-off/pickup.

• There are two crossing guards serving Silas Deane Middle School, at the intersection of Silas Deane Highway at Church Street and at the intersection of Wolcott Hill Road at Church Street. These crossing guards wore safety vests and used the handheld stop signs.

• The exclusive pedestrian beacon walk signal at the intersection of Silas Deane Highway and Church Street provide a safe area for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross traffic.

• The principal, several other staff members, and a Wethersfield police officer are outside helping with the arrival and dismissal processes, as shown in Figure 19.

• To minimize traffic congestion, several parents use the Wethersfield Town Hall and Library Complex for the arrival and dismissal processes, as shown in Figure 20.

• Nearly all portions of all roadways in the study area have sidewalks that are in fair to good condition.

2.2 Key Issues

Operational and safety issues that were noted and can be improved include:

• While speed limits are posted at 25 mph on most roadways, Wolcott Hill Road does not have a speed limits sign in the area and the speed limit on Silas Deane Highway is 35 mph. The crossing guard on Wolcott Hill Road at Church Street noted high speeds and vehicles rolling through stop signs. The crossing guard on Silas Deane

Figure 19: Silas Deane Middle School staff outside during the arrival and dismissal processes

Figure 20: Dismissal process at the Wethersfield Town Hall and library complex



Highway at Church Street noted speed concerns, but also bicyclists gaining momentum down Church Street and crossing the intersection at the last minute.

• At the intersection of Church Place at Fairmont Street, the sidewalk ends in the southbound direction of travel along Church Place and in the westbound direction of travel along Fairmont Street (Figure 21).

• Walking Route 2 that runs along the west side of the Corpus Christi School area highlights a problematic transition and connectivity issue, especially during the winter months.

Figure 21: Sidewalk ends at intersection of Church Place at Fairmount Street



Figure 22: MUTCD S1-1 sign and W16-9P sub-plate

3 RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 Short-Term Improvements The areas surrounding Silas Deane Middle School already have several amenities that are conducive to walking and bicycling to school safely. Employing the Five E’s Guidelines, the following improvements are recommended:

3.1.1 Education

• The SRTS Program provides free pedestrian and bike education for students and parents. The SRTS Committee could contact the SRTS Team to arrange a follow-up training.

3.1.2 Encouragement

• Walking Wednesdays, walking/biking contests, and mileage tracking could continue the encouragement of walking and biking to school throughout the year.

3.1.3 Enforcement

• The current posted speed on Silas Deane Highway is 35 mph. Based on interviews with the crossing guard stationed at Silas Deane Highway and Church Street, speed is a concern. The Wethersfield Police Department and Administration at Silas Deane Middle School could coordinate in order to provide routine patrols to enforce the existing speed limit of 35 mph, violations of traffic control, failure to grant right-of-way, and other traffic laws in the area of the school.

3.1.4 Engineering

• If the Town of Wethersfield wishes to pursue a School Zone along Route 99 (Silas Deane Highway), the Town’s Local Traffic Authority (LTA) would need to submit their request to the Office of the State Traffic Administration (OSTA).

• It is recommended that all signage around the school be updated to meet MUTCD current specifications, particularly with regards to size, reflectivity, and the fluorescent yellow-green color. There are several locations that have the correct MUTCD S1-1 school crossing assembly signs, but according to the MUTCD, the school advance crossing assembly with the AHEAD sub-plate should be located 100 feet from the crosswalk (Figure 22). Additionally, school zone signage was not noted on Silas Deane Highway, so the current specifications in the MUTCD should be addressed on this roadway.

• At all existing and proposed crosswalks at major intersections, the S1-1 signs with the arrow sub-plate could be added to emphasize the crosswalk only at uncontrolled intersections.

• Consider investing in a bike rack to accommodate bicyclists. The staff noted that bicyclists are waiting on a new bike rack, so in the meantime, student are locked their bikes to a bench along the west entrance (Figure 23).



• All proposed signs and pavement markings shall comply with the latest edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

• For existing and proposed crosswalks, the stopping sight distance should be verified. • Mid-block crosswalks should be avoided if possible. If a mid-block crosswalk is

unavoidable, the town could consider installing yield lines and the corresponding “Yield Here toPedestrians” sign in advance of the crosswalk. Refer to Figure 3B-17 in the MUTCD.

3.1.5 Evaluation Evaluating your school’s Safe Route to School Committee’s progress is an important step in the process. We recommend using the parent and student surveys that can be found on the walkitbikeitct.org website to measure the progress being made by the SRTS Committee on a yearly basis, as a minimum. At the onset of each academic year, walking and biking conditions and opinions on pedestrian and cycling issues can change. One of the best ways to stay abreast of these changes is to have regular committee meetings and utilize the surveys to guide the committee’s efforts and to assess new parents’ and students’ concerns. Measure your progress and make changes to your plan as needed.

3.2 Long-Term Improvements

The area surrounding the Silas Deane Middle School already has several amenities that are conducive to walking and bicycling to school safety. The area is largely residential to the west of the school although to the east on Silas Deane Highway there is high speed and high vehicle volume. The following improvements based on the four "E's" could be considered to further increase safety within the area:

3.2.1 Education

• The SRTS Program provides free pedestrian and bike education for students and parents. The SRTS Committee could contact the SRTS team to arrange a follow-up training. The STRS walkitbikeitct.org also has additional references to help schools educate and encourage walking and biking.

3.2.2 Encouragement

• Walking Wednesdays, walking/biking contests, and mileage tracking could continue the encouragement of walking and biking to school throughout the year.

• Encourage faculty and staff at the parents’ drop-off and pickup to wear safety vests.

3.2.3 Enforcement

• The crossing guard on Wolcott Hill Road at Church Street noted that the intermittent presence of local law enforcement has not minimized speeding and stopping violations, unless there is a constant presence. Thus, encouraging more routine patrols of law enforcement in the area during the pickup and drop-off process is needed to protect pedestrians.

Figure 23: Bikes locked to bench at west entrance



• Ensure that the walkway along the west side of Corpus Christi School and Silas Deane Middle School in Walking Route 2 is plowed from snow, to encourage students to use the narrow pedestrian path between the schools. Though sidewalks could be added on Darwell Drive to allow for a safer transition, students will likely take the shortest path to school and use the pedestrian path between schools instead.

3.2.4 Engineering

• Install crosswalks at all major intersections in the school zone, crosswalks should only be considered along the walking routes.

• Replace sidewalk ramps to be directional ADA Compliant pedestrian ramps at all crosswalks and major intersections.

• The Town of Wethersfield could consider adding the missing sidewalks at the intersection of Church Place and Fairmont Street.

• The Town may want to consider adding sidewalk as shown in Figure 24. • Advance school warning sign assemblies should be located based on operating speeds

per the MUTCD.

Figure 24: Potential Sidewalk



APPENDIX A Table A-1: Silas Deane Middle School area crash data and affected walking routes (2012-2014)

Location Date Time Accident Type Walking Route

Wolcott Hill Rd/Brimfield Rd No 1

November 2, 2014 12:54 PM Property (PDO) Near 1

Wolcott Hill Rd/Brimfield Rd No 2

February 23, 2015 3:18 PM Property (PDO) Near 1

Wolcott Hill Rd/Marmor Ct March 26, 2014 4:17 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Marmor Ct November 8, 2012 2:33 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Beverly Rd August 13, 2013 1:45 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Beverly Rd September 30, 2012 3:12 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Beverly Rd October 9, 2012 6:39 PM Fatality Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Beverly Rd November 27, 2014 12:24 AM Injury (no fatality) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Coleman Rd April 18, 2013 12:15 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Dix Rd April 1, 2014 3:42 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Dix Rd August 28, 2012 3:52 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Dix Rd July 4, 2014 12:04 AM Injury (no fatality) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Stillwold Dr W April 24, 2014 5:33 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Stillwold Dr W December 31, 2013 1:00 AM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Cottwell Dr December 22, 2014 7:43 AM Property (PDO) Near 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Church St January 20, 2014 6:55 PM Property (PDO) 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Church St March 18, 2014 11:22 AM Property (PDO) 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Nott St May 10, 2013 5:25 PM Injury (no fatality) 1 Wolcott Hill Rd/Nott St October 15, 2012 7:10 PM Property (PDO) 1 Church St/Main St January 3, 2014 2:57 PM Property (PDO) Near 1 Church St/Main St July 13, 2012 7:09 AM Property (PDO) Near 1 Church St/Rosedale St July 18, 2012 11:55 AM Property (PDO) Near 1 Church St/Wolcott Hill Rd July 10, 2014 12:19 AM Property (PDO) 1 Belcher Rd/Savage Rd December 9, 2014 4:36 PM Property (PDO) 2 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St October 11, 2012 6:52 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St December 26, 2012 7:04 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St January 17, 2013 3:42 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St January 29, 2013 12:28 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St February 14, 2013 9:40 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St February 13, 2013 6:30 AM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St March 6, 2013 10:19 AM Injury (no fatality) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St October 12, 2013 8:01 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St May 2, 2014 12:41 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St September 22, 2014 8:12 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St November 18, 2014 3:14 PM Property (PDO) Near 3



Silas Deane Highway/Maple St March 2, 2012 2:03 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Maple St July 27, 2012 11:46 AM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Tobler Terrace

January 30, 2013 6:31 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3

Silas Deane Highway/Tobler Terrace

December 6, 2014 5:49 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3




February 12, 2013 6:39 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3


December 3, 2013 4:52 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


February 11, 2014 4:46 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


August 9, 2014 2:51 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3


June 15, 2012 4:53 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


August 9, 2012 11:59 AM Property (PDO) Near 3


September 26, 2012 3:48 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


December 26, 2012 11:10 AM Property (PDO) Near 3

Silas Deane Highway/Beverly Rd

February 2. 2013 12:07 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


February 14. 2013 12:43 PM Property (PDO) Near 3



Silas Deane Highway/Coleman Rd

August 22, 2014 4:01 PM Property (PDO) Near 3

Silas Deane Highway/Stillwold Dr

May 1, 2014 5:03 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


June 13, 2013 8:50 AM Property (PDO) Near 3


December 29, 2014 8:37 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3

Silas Deane Highway/Byrd Rd March 17, 2014 8:17 AM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Byrd Rd June 20, 2012 12:05 PM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd January 4, 2012 3:56 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd February 3, 2014 8:23 AM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd February 7, 2013 4:11 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd March 2, 2013 10:54 AM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd April 26, 2013 12:37 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd May 1, 2014 2:22 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd May 7, 2014 11:21 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd June 4, 2012 2:52 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd July 17, 2012 5:00 PM Property (PDO) 3



Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd August 27, 2014 3:20 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd August 29, 2014 8:44 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd September 18, 2012 12:13 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd October 15, 2012 6:36 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd October 15, 2013 2:17 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd November 4, 2014 10:58 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd November 10, 2014 3:31 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd November 13, 2012 3:07 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd November 20, 2013 2:53 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd December 5, 2014 5:40 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Wells Rd November 13, 2013 4:35 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Somerset St

December 13, 2013 4:16 PM Injury (no fatality) 3

Silas Deane Highway/Somerset St

June 2, 2013 12:47 PM Property (PDO) 3

Silas Deane Highway/Somerset St

August 15, 2013 5:18 PM Property (PDO) 3

Silas Deane Highway/S Jct Beaver Rd

March 2, 2012 5:44 PM Property (PDO) 3


March 9, 2013 4:38 PM Injury (no fatality) 3


October 10, 2014 8:02 PM Injury (no fatality) 3


April 26, 2013 5:01 PM Injury (no fatality) 3

Silas Deane Highway/N Jct Beaver Rd

January 14, 2012 3:16 PM Injury (no fatality) 3


June 27, 2013 9:13 AM Injury (no fatality) 3


August 22, 2012 2:40 PM Property (PDO) 3


October 18, 2013 4:56 PM Property (PDO) 3


November 25, 2014 2:56 PM Property (PDO) 3

Silas Deane Highway/Church St February 13, 2013 10:34 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St February 17, 2014 2:48 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St March 4, 2014 6:31 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St March 18, 2013 12:51 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St April 2, 2014 10:52 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St June 12, 2012 5:35 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St June 18, 2013 12:09 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St July 29, 2012 8:50 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St August 7, 2014 7:32 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St October 19, 2012 3:33 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St November 13, 2013 8:41 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Church St December 23, 2014 3:54 PM Injury (no fatality) 3



Silas Deane Highway/Morrison Ave


Silas Deane Highway/Morrison Ave

June 10, 2012 6:40 PM Injury (no fatality) 3

Silas Deane Highway/Hillcrest Ave



March 31, 2014 4:07 PM Injury (no fatality) 3


July 31, 2014 5:29 PM Property (PDO) 3

Silas Deane Highway/Nott St December 22, 2014 5:13 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St February 22, 2014 11:20 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St February 14, 2014 9:59 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St April 22, 2013 2:24 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St July 9, 2014 3:28 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St July 15, 2012 12:20 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St November 3, 2014 7:07 AM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St December 6, 2013 5:59 AM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St December 20, 2014 5:16 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St March 6, 2012 6:54 PM Property (PDO) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Nott St August 15, 2013 4:44 PM Injury (no fatality) 3 Silas Deane Highway/Oxford St August 21, 2012 11:37 AM Property (PDO) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Oxford St October 26, 2014 5:02 PM Injury (no fatality) Near 3 Silas Deane Highway/Cumberland Ave EB

January 4, 2014 11:21 AM Property (PDO) Near 3

Silas Deane Highway/Cumberland Ave EB

January 9, 2013 1:47 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


January 18, 2012 2:26 PM Property (PDO) Near 3


June 9, 2014 11:19 AM Property (PDO) Near 3


December 22, 2012 8:15 AM Property (PDO) Near 3

The aforementioned Safe Routes to School Walk Audit Report is an objective review intended for the School’s Safe Routes Committee use to help assess the existing conditions surrounding the school. This document is an innovative planning tool to help identify bicycle, pedestrian and non-motorized transportation needs that encourage walking and bicycling to the school, as well as assists in developing recommendations to improve existing conditions. The contents of this report are not intended to be legally binding, but rather offer recommendations to improve safety in the vicinity of the school and create a more appealing transportation alternative.

VN Engineers, Inc.

2015 safe routes to school walk audit findings report€¦ · place and the silas deane middle...

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